


My Soul To Take

by farawayfiction (JJ_Thomas)



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-11
Updated: 2016-01-11
Packaged: 2018-05-13 07:23:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5699914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JJ_Thomas/pseuds/farawayfiction
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack and Hugh investigate a tip with tragic results.</p>
            </blockquote>





	My Soul To Take

Heavy frost blanketed the yard. Grass stood stiffly on end and sparkled like crystal in the light of the full moon. Along the fence, a row of parked vehicles sat side by side, white encrusted soldiers in formation. The ice beneath Jack’s shoes crunched with every footfall and plumes of exhaled breath preceded him. Collins trailed behind him, rubbing his hands together vigorously in an attempt to warm them. Jack took pity on him and wordlessly offered his gloves without so much as glancing back. Surprised but thankful, Hugh reached out to take them without responding. They proved to be slightly too large but sufficiently warm. The Inspector buried his own digits in the depths of his ample pockets.

Jack paused at the second to last automobile. The layer that had settled on its exterior was thinner but no less uniform.

“It hasn’t been here as long,” Collins commented quietly, coming to the same conclusion.

The Constable cut between the cars and started down one side as his superior rounded to inspect the opposite. Jack nearly stepped on his next clue. He fished out his flashlight and added its illumination to the lunar output. Under the light, he spied what appeared to be blood. No evidence of it was present on the car itself. At least as far as he could see. A view of the interior was blocked by opaque sheets. Impulsively he withdrew his hands and began to scrape and scratch at the window, sprays of fine powder flying into the air and assaulting his exposed flesh. An inexplicable dread overcame him as more of the glass was revealed.

“Sir?” Collins circled around to the boot.

Jack’s mouth dropped open and his brow contorted. The look in his eyes spoke of horror. He grabbed the door handle and yanked. A second hand joined the first and with both, he wrestled with a door that refused to budge. It was unlocked, yet frozen shut. He started banging on the top of the vehicle with his fist, frantic. “There’s someone inside,” he explained between short breaths.

Hugh caught his first glimpse through the glass. A woman lay curled on her side in a fetal position along the back bench. Her sock clad feet were missing shoes and a thin jacket draped her skirt and legs. Her face could not be seen. Before he was able to form another thought, Jack acted with expedience. The window shattered on impact. Hugh reeled backwards, startled by the sudden movement and subsequent explosion of shards. The witness in their latest organized crime case didn’t so much as flinch. Hugh made a mad dash to check the other doors.

Praying the woman might still cling to life, Jack awkwardly fit himself through the empty window frame, snagging jagged edges as he went. The opening was only just large enough to accommodate. Once in the back, he gracelessly maneuvered around her before pulling up short.

Her eyes were open and her jaw hung slack. The skin of her face and lips were tinted blue. Like the vehicle about her, she too had frozen to death.

“None of the other doors will open! Should I call for an ambulance?” The question was insistent but held little hope.

Jack leaned back against the front seat and clenched a fist to his mouth. His red swollen fingers wouldn’t bend as they were supposed to. It took him a moment to collect himself, staring into the deceased gaze of Mary Walters. He glanced up at his subordinate, sadness and regret hardening his features. “That won’t be necessary,” he finally replied.

There was nothing Hugh could say.

Jack set about the duty of extricating himself, the climb taken at a slower speed and with greater care. Street vagrant or no, she’d been a human being with hopes and dreams to sustain her. She deserved to rest in peace.


End file.
